Handle for closing the garmentpressing plates of room valets



Nov. 29, 1966 A. REGUITTI HANDLE FOR CLOSING THE GARMENT-PRESSING PLATES OF ROOM VALETS Filed Jan. 11, 1966 ll rll United States Patent 3,287 836 HANDLE FOR CLOSING THE GARMENT- PRESSING PLATES 0F ROOM VALETS Aristide Reguitti, Via Renzana 5, Agnosine, Brescia, Italy Filed Jan. 11, 1966, Ser. No. 520,013

2 Claims. (CI. 38-71) The present invention relates specifically to a novel design for handles suitable for closing or tightening the moving plate of a conventional room valet against its mating, adjacent, rigid plate, so as to obtain a pressing action on the trousers, or other apparel conventionally positioned between these two plates.

The handle of this invention is characterized by a principal member shaped like a large letter U and constituting the handle, the extremities of which are seated Within bushings which are pivotably positioned laterally on the vertical supporters of the rigid plate. A spring member is positioned about each seated extremity of the handle, so as to ensure the adherence of the curved portion of the extremity mentioned above to the groove of pivotable pulley-like rotule positioned laterally on the movable plate of the valet.

The advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiment thereof and from the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 shows in perspective the room valet assembled and with the tightening handle for the garmentpressing plates in position; and

FIGURE 2 shows details of the handle of the invention in its mounted position.

With reference now to the drawings, the tightening handle 1 comprises a gripping element 2 positioned substantially intermediate the extremities of the U-shaped handle 1. The two extremities 3 of the handle are seated within bushings 4 which are pivoting about pivots 5 on the sides of the vertical supporters 6 of the rigid plate of the valet.

Each extremity 3 is provided with a terminal enlargement 7 which may be, for example, as illustrated in FIG- URE 2, and between said enlargement 7 and the terminus of the bushing 4 there is provided a spring 8 surrounding the portion of the handle 1 which is seated within the bushing.

Adjoining the extremities 3, the handle is provided with suitable curvatures 9 which match the curvatures of the grooves provided in the pulley-like rotules 10 shown clearly in FIGURE 2. These rotules 10 are pivotable about pivots 11 and are positioned on the sides of the moving plate 12 of the valet (see FIGURE 2).

Thanks to the arrangement described hereabove, the

springs 8, acting upon the extremities 3 of the handle 1, ensure the perfect seating of curvatures 9 within the grooves of the rotules 10 with the resulting compression action by the moving plate 12 upon the rigid plate parallel thereto. By effecting an angular movement of the handle 1 and of the two bushing 4 upon pivots 5, the handle disengages itself from the grooves of the pulleys or rotules 10, thus allowing the moving plate 12 to angularly detach itself from its position of proximity to the mating rigid plate.

Since the U-shaped handle is extended downwardly with respect to the pivoting point of the bushing 4, the angular movement of the handle in a downwardly direction is obtained very rapidly by virture of the weight of the handle itself, so that it is necessary merely to move the moving plate of the valet toward the rigid plate to automatically close these two elements of the device on the apparel positioned therebetween.

What is claimed is:

1. In a room valet having mating rigid and moving plates for pressing therebetween an article of apparel, the rigid plate being mounted on vertical supports, the improvement consisting of a plate-closing device which comprises in combination:

(a) a U-shaped handle including extremities and curved portions proximate the extremities;

(b) a pair of pivotable bushings positioned laterally and externally on the vertical supports of said rigid plate and containing the extremities of said U-shaped handle;

(c) springs mounted on said extremities and seated within said bushings; and

(d) a pair of pivotable, grooved rotules positioned laterally on said moving plate and adapted to contact the curved portions of said handle in the proximity of said extremities when the valet is in closed position.

2. The improvement in the room valet of claim 1, characterized in that each of said springs is acting on said handle in the space between one terminus of said bushing and the terminus of the extremity of said handle, said latter terminus being enlarged so as to prevent said spring from disengaging itself from said handle.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,473,207 '11/1923 Chambers 38-71 3,145,490 8/1964 Corby 3871 FOREIGN PATENTS 460,307 l/ 1937 Great Britain.

PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A ROOM VALET HAVING MATING RIGID AND MOVING PLATES FOR PRESSING THEREBETWEEN AN ARTICLE OF APPAREL, THE RIGID PLATE BEING MOUNTED ON VERTICAL SUPPORTS, THE IMPROVEMENT CONSISTING OF A PLATE-CLOSING DEVICE WHICH COMPRISES IN COMBINATION: (A) A U-SHAPED HANDLE INCLUDING EXTREMITIES AND CURVED PORTIONS PROXIMATE THE EXTREMITIES; (B) A PAIR OF PIVOTABLE BUSHINGS POSITIONED LATERALLY AND EXTERNALLY ON THE VERTICAL SUPPORTS OF SAID RIGID PLATE AND CONTAINING THE EXTREMITIES OF SAID U-SHAPED HANDLE; (C) SPRINGS MOUNTED ON SAID EXTREMITIES AND SEATED WITHIN SAID BUSHINGS; AND (D) A PAIR OF PIVOTABLE, GROOVED ROTULES POSITIONED LATERALLY ON SAID MOVING PLATE AND ADAPTED TO CONTACT THE CURVED PORTIONS OF SAID HANDLE IN THE PROXIMITY 